Understandings
by Dragoncl
Summary: A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are." unrelated-drabbles friendship/romance depending on how you want to see it
1. Ben&Julie

Okay. I don't know where this came from. I was disappointed with the season premiere( don't get me wrong it was alright but it had so much unfullfilled potential and Ben's sudden immaturity was too much for me) and since writing usually helps me, I sat down a started and writing and got this. Julie just showed up. I hope I got both of them down alright. I'm not sure if this is going to stay a one-shot or become a series of unrelated drabbles. I have a few other drabbles waiting to be finished. Anyway, tell me what you think.

**Takes place before 'Good Copy, Bad Copy'**

**I don't own Ben 10 or any of its characters**

**Edit: READ THIS!** I decided to change this into a series of drabbles since the title just planted so many plot bunnies in my head. I'll be putting the characters involved in the chapter head so if you don't like someone you can just skip it. I will NOT only focus on these two characters. I plan to use as many as my muses will allow. ;) I will also try and keep it so its not completely pairing drabbles

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"Oh man!"

The night was windy to say the least. Trees swayed and groaned as the strong gusts pulled at their trunks. The dark storm clouds twirled in the upper atmosphere, indifferent to the trouble the rain and wind was causing the citizens of Bellwood. The bright headlights of cars carefully traveled along the slippery roads and highways. Mini tornados twisted across the desert surrounding the town, eventually dying as the wind changed direction. Needless to say, few people ventured into the stormy weather.

"Oh man. Oh man. She's going to kill me." The screechy voice could hardly be heard over the roaring wind and pounding rain. Gritting his sharp teeth, Jetray directed the few coherent parts of his mind into keeping airborne. A rather nasty gust pulled at the thin membrane of his wings, but he fought to move forward. Without any warning, the wind disappeared, and the alien shot through the air, his arm muscles screaming from the work.

Black spots flickered in front of his vision and all sensation left his body. His thin wings collapsed and the Aerophibian fell from the air. Bright lights and a loud horn brought Ben out of his stupor. Eyes shooting open, the creature twisted its lithe body and flapped its exhausted wings. The oncoming car skidded past, but managed to stay on the road. Gaining altitude so the next car didn't turn him into road-kill, Jetray winced.

Glancing down through the rain, he isn't surprised to see the gash across his chest had reopened. Green blood slowly dripped from the wound, each drop lost making him even more lightheaded. He had to land soon or he really would be road-kill. Willing his screaming arms and chest to shut up, the alien shot through the storm.

A sigh of relief escaped his mouth as the building he was searching for came into view. The relief was replaced with heavy guilt as his sharp eyes found a lone figure taking cover under the awning of the restaurant. Letting his wings carefully direct him toward the ground, green light surrounded the alien. A second later, Ben dropped the remaining five feet to the ground and bit back a groan as his wound protested the action.

"Ben!" The figure ran out from under the awning and stopped next to the brunette.

"Julie? I'm sorry. I tried to get back as soon as I could." The boy sighed and looked at the dark restaurant's windows. "I guess I totally ruined our date didn't I?" The black-haired girl sighed and shook her head.

"Don't worry about it. C'mon. We can still go back to my house and watchZombie Hunter." She extended her hand to help the boy to his feet. Ben gratefully excepted the help and was pulled to his feet. His chest throbbed, but he willed it to be quiet. He would take care of it when Julie wasn't around. The less she knew the better. "C'mon. I'm getting soaked."

The brunette laughed and nodded, following his girlfriend over to her moped. "Sorry."The engine puttered to life and small light illuminated the wet streets. The rain pounded on the teens as the small bike raced through the town. Ben leaned forward, warping his arms around the girl and resting his head against her shoulder. It seemed his energy was slowly seeping from him with every passing minute. Julie's house seemed like a shining beacon in the stormy night.

Cutting the power to the bike as they entered the garage, Julie smiled over her shoulder. "We're here. Let's get inside before we get sick. You can borrow some fo my dad's clothes."

"Thanks." The brunette's lips twitched as he tried to smile, but his body seemed to be shutting down.

"Ben? Ben, are you..." Her hand lightly touched his chest and he hissed in pain. The girl jumped back in surprise, eyebrows furrowed nervously. She glanced on her hand and hasped as she noticed the red tint. "Ben, you're bleeding!" Energy quickly dissipating, the Omnitrix-wielder couldn't come up with a response. "Here. I have a First-aid kit in the house." With his girlfriend's help, the boy made it into the bathroom, before his legs gave out on him. Dark eyes full of worry, Julie sat him down on the closed toilet.

The pain that shot through his torso as he removed his soaked jacket woke him enough for him to protest. "You don't have to do this, Julie. Gwen can do it later." His head gave a painful throb in protest. Waiting for Gwen probably wouldn't be the best idea. She and Kevin were still driving home and wouldn't get there until for another forty minutes at least. Every bit of logic he possessed told him to let Julie fix up the wound, but his heart clenched at the idea. He knew she had a vague idea of how often his secret job left him with injuries, but he didn't want to confirm it nor show her how bad it could and frequently did get. The less she knew the better.

But she was giving him the look he had thought that only his mom and Gwen had mastered. Apparently it was a talent that all girl's possessed. With a loud sigh that was more like an explosion of air then a gentle exhale, he nodded and prepared himself for her appalled reaction. Even the others had gotten queasy over some of his injuries and they had been exposed to as much as he had. He could tell by how fast he was fading and the amount of blood soaking his shirt that it was going to be one of those gut-wrenching wounds. Maybe he shouldn't be sitting on the toilet.

He slowly peeled the dark t-shirt off, wincing as it tugged at his injury. The girl across from him who had been silent until now gasped quietly and lightly brought her hands to her mouth inn surprise. Her deep eyes were wide and tears collected at the corners. His mouth twitched into a frown. He knew this hadn't been a good idea. "Forget it. I shouldn't have bothered you." Ben moved to pick up his discarded shirt when a firm hand touched his forearm. Green eyes looked up in surprised and met steady black.

"No. I'm alright. I just didn't.... I didn't think..." The girl frowned as her tongue betrayed her uneasiness. A weak smile tilted her lips and she shook her head. "Sorry. I just wasn't expecting it too be so bad." She pulled the stereotypical red box out of the cabinet and opened it, her nimble fingers tracing over the contents. She picked up a few pieces of gauze and a bottle of antibiotic. The boy felt a twinge of nostalgia. How long had it been since his first-aid kit had carried only the bare necessities?

Julie picked up a pad of sterile gauze and gently pressed it against the top of the wound. Ben hissed at the sudden pain and she jumped back, biting her lip in concern and uncertainty. "Sorry. Sorry. Just bear with me, okay?" He nodded sharply, gritting his teeth against the pain. She continued to put pressure on the bleeding parts of his wound, her hands cool against the irritated skin. A few other pieces of gauze were used to clean the jagged skin and add antibiotic to it. More gauze was stuck to the wound and secured with tape.

When she was done, she sighed heavily and sat back, leaning against the opposite wall. Ben blinked the sleep out of his eyes and looked at her, worry evident on his features. "Julie?" She waved away his concern and smiled meekly at him.

"I guess that was what Kevin meant when he said it was dangerous. I guess I just didn't believe him." She laughed but it held no amusement in it. The brunette slid off the seat and onto the ground, moving to sit next to his girlfriend. Silence passed between them and Ben fought to keep his eyes open.

"I'm sorry. I should have waited for Gwen." He frowned as he looked at the pile of bloody gauze on the floor. " You didn't need to do that. I shouldn't have gotten you involved." Julie snapped out of her stupor and stared at him. He jumped at the sudden movement and squirmed under her unreadable look. "Julie, what..."

"Don't ever say that." Her voice was low and threatening. "You didn't 'get me involved'. I was my decision, not yours. I _want_ to help you." She huffed in annoyance and ran a hand through her hair. "I just... I worry about you. You hardly tell me about that you guys do. All I ever hear is that there was an alien and you beat it. I just get bits and pieces and am left to figure it out on my own. I can't just sit on the sidelines forever and you can't keep me there no matter how hard you 've been trying to. The boy blushed at the accusation. He hadn't expected her to realize he had been sheltering her. "I want to help, Ben, even if it's just cleaning the cuts and scrapes you get." She glanced at his chest and frowned. She knew there weren't just 'cuts and scrapes'. "I hate seeing you like this." Her voice dropped down to a whisper and she ducked her head.

Ben blinked owlishly as a loving grin pulled at his lips. He shook his head, ignoring how his vision dimmed temporarily. That was Julie for you. She was going to get involved whether he wanted her to or not. He sighed in defeat and smiled. "Alright. I'll explain everything I can." Julie perked up at his response but he stopped her from saying anything with a quick frown. "But not tonight. We're supposed to be on a date and I think my problems and mistakes have ruined it enough. You said something about Zombie Hunter?" It was her turn to smile and shake her head in exasperation.

"Deal." She jumped to her feet and offered him a hand. He gratefully took it, not sure he would be able to get up without it. "But I'm calling Gwen and Kevin and telling them to come pick you up. You're almost asleep on your feet." She laughed as he protested and rolled her eyes, muttering about idiot heros. He let her lead him to the couch and turned on the TV. She sat next to him, letting him rest his head on her lap as she flipped through the channels. "Go ahead and sleep. You can make it up to me tomorrow." The boy nodded wearily and felt his body finally relax. Sleep snuck up on him as the movie finished the beginning credits.


	2. Gwen&Kevin

I really have nothing to say except these too kind of did their own thing no matter what I wanted. Next will be Ben and Gwen. The tree gave me an idea. :) Again, you can see this as whatever you want. I'm trying to do character interaction studies ie friendship fics. Set after "In Charm's Way"

I do not own Ben 10 or any of the characters.

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Gwen&Kevin

"Should she have had to?" The look the brunette gave him would have made his stomach turn even if his words hadn't. Despite how much they made fun of him for his poor speeches, Ben sure knew how to get his point across when the moment called for it. With fierce, angry eyes glaring at him, Kevin turned back to the water, watching the dark water lap up against the shore. Normally he would have had a comeback to that, God knew how often he and the younger teen verbally abused each other, but the day had left him too drained to find enjoyment out of tearing the Omnitrix-wielder apart. A few seconds of tense silence passed between the boys before Ben gave in with a heavy sigh. "Just fix it, alright?"

It was more of a command than a question, but the ex-con let it slide. He could hear the fifteen year-old fiddling with the Omnitrix around his wrist before green light illuminated the beach. There was a raspy huff and the sound of wings as whatever alien the boy had changed into lifted into the air. The sudden rush of air and small sonic boom identified it as Jetray. It wasn't until all signs of the young hero vanished that Kevin started to walk back to the parking lot. A good, long drive was what he needed right now.

His engine roared to life and rubber squealed across the asphalt. There was still a good half hour of open, ocean-side highway between him and Bellwood. With water on one side and the beginnings of the desert on the other, the green Challenger ate up the miles. Thankfully the police force didn't patrol the area too much which allowed him to let the engine go all out. Heavy metal blasted from the speakers and made the whole frame of the car shake with each bass note. This was how he thought though. The feel of powerful machinery beneath him and music blocking out the outside world let him go over the day's events.

_How was I supposed to know?! It's not like she ever told me!_ His internal rant soon lost its ferocity though as Ben's question continued to nag at him. No matter how he tried to look at it or manipulate the facts, the brunette was right, damn him. He should have known Gwen would do everything she could to try and fix things even if it wasn't her fault. That was just how she was, damn her. Why couldn't they make it easy for him to be mad at them? It would make this whole not-relationship-thing he had with Gwen and the dying rivalry he had with Ben easier to deal with.

Bellwood finally came into view and he let the car's momentum bring him into the tight streets. He had every intention of going home, but he found his hands automatically turning down the road that would lead to Gwen's neighborhood. No! He didn't want to go see her right now. He didn't want to see any of them right now. If he saw her he might... With a suppressed scream of rage, he slammed on the brake. Crossing his arms over the top of the steering wheel and resting his head on them, he breathed in deeply through his nose. Why? Why did she always make him like this? Things had always been so much simpler before he met the two cousins.

With a defeated sigh, Kevin continued down the road, turning onto Gwen's road and stopping several houses down. The car door slammed louder than he had planned but no one was around to notice. It couldn't be more than eleven o'clock but the night was already chilly. Glancing down the street, he could instantly pick out the redhead's house from the others though they were all the regular suburb cookie-cutter type. How often had he been there since he had joined the Tennysons? It was almost like a second home to him now. Something was off though. A single light shone in the dark night: upstairs, second window to the right by the big oak.

Gwen's room.

Guilt hit him like a Highbreed's punch. All the anger and frustration disappeared as he tried to keep from smashing his head into the roof of his car. Once again, he had hurt her because he had done something... stupid. Ben had been right, scary a thought as that was. He _was_ a giant, rock-faced jerk.

Pushing off his car, he jogged across the street and through several yards. Ben had talked about using this route as a kid when they used to sneak out. He never thought he would have a reason to use it. Scratch that, he just never thought it would be because of something as uncool as this. Swallowing his pride, he grabbed onto the lowest branch and pulled himself up. For once, he was glad for his mutation. Otherwise, he would probably be a mess from all the sticks and leaves that poked and prodded him on his way up. A convenient limb got him close enough to knock on the glass, praying the thin branch could hold his weight.

Gwen came just as it started to sag beneath him. When she saw who it was, she crossed her arms over her chest and quirked an eyebrow. Not opening the window, she frowned. "What?"

"Uh," the branch was started to creak under him, "look, Gwen. Can we talk?" He hoped his voice wasn't too distorted by the glass and his anxiety. The fall wouldn't cause any serious damage, but that didn't mean it wouldn't hurt. The red eyebrow arched higher and the frown deepened.

"What else do we have to talk about?" Great, now really wasn't the time for her to show her temper.

"Please?" For a moment he forgot about the painful drop below him and looked into her eyes. The vibrant green the Tennyson family shared was rimmed in red and watery. Wonderful, that was another ton of guilt added on. With a frustrated sigh, she relented and opened the window.

"Fine! Just be quiet. If my dad finds you up here..." she let the threat hang and Kevin winced. Careful to not make too much noise, Kevin gracefully hopped in through the window. Gwen had returned to her desk and marked her page in a book so old it was a mystery what was holding it together. _Magic_, Kevin concluded as he saw the fancy writing that could only be Latin across the page. The redhead turned in her chair and glared at him."What do you want?"

Suddenly, all the fear of messing up and having her hate him came back from the old days and his tongue refused to form words. "Uh..." Gwen rolled her eyes and returned to her book. "Wait! I...I shouldn't have said what I did earlier. It was stupid."

"Yup." Green eyes scrutinized his face as he felt anger bubble up inside him. He should have known this wasn't going to be easy, it never was after all. They were both too prideful. Despite his best efforts, Kevin couldn't keep the retort under control.

"Hey. It's not all my fault! Or did you forget the crazy, revenge-bent, psycho-witch that attacked us? Besides, you're not exactly perfect either, alright? This wouldn't have happened if you had just told me what you were doing!" Red flooded his vision and blood pounded in his ears. The anger didn't cloud her reaction however. Gwen twisted out of her seat with reflexes honed from years of battle and closed the distance between them, her face a vivid shade of red.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe this is all my fault for thinking I could trust you to believe in me! I can't believe you!" With an angry huff, she twisted around and paced before him, her eyes promising death if he so much as moved. "You have no idea, do you? I've been using all of my free time to read through these stupid books again and again just to help you! My grades have been dropping, my friends think I'm ignoring them, I dropped out of karate, and my parents think I need therapy just because I've been trying to help you, and you don't even bother to notice! You know what? I don't care anymore! Go ahead! Live like that for the rest of your life!" The book on the desk clattered to the floor as she thrust her hand at it and used her mana to take her anger out on it. The action didn't seem to satisfy her however, and the next moment her fist slammed into his cheek like a wrecking ball. He stumbled sideways at the blow but refused to rub the offended area and show her just how much it hurt. His pride didn't need to take any more hits thank you very much. The punch seemed to take the fight out of the redhead though as she slumped into her chair and stared blankly at him. The ex-criminal stared at her for several minutes before she sighed.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hit you. It's just..." she took a deep breath and he finally realized how exhausted she really was. "Would you really rather trust a complete stranger than me?" He winced at the not-too-subtle accusation. Great, even more guilt.

"I'm sorry." The words felt like fire as they passed through his lips. Apologizing had never been his forte. He had never really had anyone to apologize to before, but the redhead had made it her mission to give him a very thorough and painful lesson on humility. A little weight lifted off his shoulders as some of the light came back into the Anodite's eyes. "I should have believed you. I just... I just..." Words escaped him and he was left floundering like an idiot. Gwen took mercy on him and nodded.

"I know. I guess we're both idiots aren't we?" Kevin chuckled lightly as the room's atmosphere lightened. The moment was ruined as a yawn threatened to break the redhead's jaw. Worry furrowed the sixteen year-old's brow as he took her wrist and led her over to the bed. She resisted feebly, but her body overrode any protest her mind gave. He wrapped her in the blankets and smiled as she shifted around to get comfortable.

"Get some sleep. Ben wanted to go check out that ridge we found last week tomorrow." Gwen winced and sighed.

"Joy. With our luck it will be full of flesh-eating maggots or something." Her tone was light and joking which made him smile. She flopped over and faced the wall. When Kevin didn't leave, she glared over her shoulder. "I can't exactly sleep with you sitting there!" Kevin chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest.

"What? Don't you trust me," he mocked and grinned back at her.

"Nope, Creep." She settled back into the mattress and was asleep before the older teen could get back out the window. He shook his head and climbed back down the tree and back to his car, feeling more energetic than he had when he had arrived. Things were... well they weren't prefect but they weren't horrible either, a kind of strange relationship limbo between them. Just like it had always been with them. It wasn't exactly helping him with his emotions. With a sigh, Kevin slammed the car door shut and felt the engine rumble to life. Why were girls so confusing?


	3. Ben&Gwen

Hey! I'm back. Sorry this took so long. I had some serious writers block and little time to write anyway. I must have rewritten this ten times. This is the one I'm the happiest with though. It's short but I'd like to think it's sweet too. The first bit is actually roughly based off of my own experience with my cousin. Great memories. :) I'm also writing with my new computer and have to get used to the new keyboard so sorry for any mistakes. I proof read but you never know. Anyway, tell me what you think. This is set after _Hit'Em Where They Live_.

Don't own. Nope.

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Ben&Gwen

_"Come on, Ben. Smile!" The twelve year-old brunette looked up and scowled deeply, sinking further into the mountain of pillows surrounding him._

_"Go away. And stop laughing! This isn't funny!" Gwen only burst into a fit of giggles in response but kept the camera trained on her cousin. "Gwen," the childish whine added to the end of her name increased her laughter and the video shook with her."Grandpa, make her stop!"_

_The camera swiveled over to the old man as he unsuccessfully attempted to hide his own chuckles. Coughing lightly, the retired plumber straightened and smiled at his grandson. "Sorry, Ben. I just never knew you were so competitive. Laughter broke out among the group as the boy groaned._

"It's not funny!" Ben crossed his arms over his chest and glared darkly at his relatives. "Can you at least put the camera away?"

_"No way! This is gold: photographic proof that the Great Ben Ten is a complete klutz. I mean, when you had the Omnitrix, you never got anything worse than a few cuts and bruises. A week after you get it off, you break your leg._

_"I wouldn't be talking. You broke your wrist before I did."_

_"Sprained. I sprained my wrist. In one of the top martial arts competitions in the region too. You fell out of a tree. Real heroic." The boy groaned again, his face bright red under his summer tan._

_"Shut up, Gwen." The girl chuckled at her cousin's embarrassment but kindly stopped her teasing._

_"Fine, only if you let me sign you cast." She tossed the camera to her grandfather before running off to find a pen. Grandpa Max fumbled with the it before pointing it back at his grandchildren with a beaming smile._

_"What? No! Stay away!" Ben struggled in vain to squirm out of the pillows and run away._

Sixteen year-old Gwen laid against the couch and smiled. She had been feeling nostalgic lately. The sudden fame and added responsibilities had been straining on her nerves and she had begun to think about when times were easier: just Grandpa Max, Ben, and her fighting off stray alien attacks. There were no worries about their failures destroying the Earth, no boy troubles distracting her from school and her job, and no fear of being publically hated or feared.

So with her parents out shopping and the rest of the team taking a much-needed day off, she had pulled out some old home movies and sat down with a big bowl of popcorn to try and make herself feel better. It had done the trick. She could feel her worries starting to lose their bite and her nerves starting to relax.

The familiar creak of the bottom stair destroyed all that.

She paused the video as instincts honed over years of fighting kicked in. Her ears strained for any other sounds while her brain tried to figure out the cause of the noise. "Mom? Dad?" Her parents were out though and she would have known if they had returned. A sliver of ice raced down her back. It hadn't been long since their enemies had stopped targeting their families. Maybe someone hadn't gotten her message.

Careful to keep as quiet as possible, she crept toward the hallway. There was nothing there though. She began to convince herself it was just her imagination when something moved in the kitchen.

This time she went in with guns blazing. Her hands were covered in mana and were ready to strike before she turned the corner. With a battle cry, she leapt into the room, pink energy shooting out and wrapping around the invader.

"Woah! Hey!" The indignant shout made Gwen stop and actually look at her opponent. Ben stared at her, muscles tense, with his hand hovering dangerously over his Ultimatrix.

"Ben? What are you doing here?" Both teens relaxed and Ben shrugged once he was back on the ground.

"Just came to raid your fridge. Mom forgot to go shopping yesterday." He motioned toward the sandwich he had been making on the counter.

"And why didn't you use the front door like a normal person?" He shrugged again and returned to building his lunch. "How did you get in here anyway?"

"Your window. The car's not in the driveway so I thought you weren't home. Sorry," he apologized, or attempted to at least around the mouthful of sandwich he had just taken. Gwen would have called him out on the disgusting habit but burst into laughter instead. Ben stared at her until she got enough control of herself to motion him toward the living room. The video was still frozen on the screen and the brunette gaped as he recognized the scene. Gwen was just glad he had swallowed his latest mouthful beforehand.

"You still have this?" Gwen nodded.

"Why not?" He groaned and sent her a glare.

"Because it was horrible. I couldn't walk for like.. a month. I missed soccer tryouts!"

"Are you sure it's not because it ruins your wonderful reputation? People wouldn't feel so safe if they knew Ben Tennyson was beaten by a tree." She beamed while he sent a dirty glare at her.

"My reputation is bad enough. Thank you." An evil grin came over his face. "Yours could use some work though. If I remember correctly, there's a great video the press will love from the school play." The color drained from her face and she glared.

"You wouldn't dare!" Ben reached for the remote but a pillow smacked into his head before he could pick it up.

Green eyes blazing, her turned back to her. "Oh, now it's war!"

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"Gwen? We're home, honey!" Lily Tennyson walked into the living room and stopped. "What happened here?" Gwen sat up and looked around the room. The couch and chairs had been stripped of their pillows and the furniture had been pushed to the side. The pillows were thrown across the floor in front of the TV with and Ben and herself were sprawled across them. Empty chip bags and popcorn bowls were placed sporadically in the chaos.

Turning back to her mother, Gwen shrugged. "We're just watching some movies. We'll clean up later." Lily hesitated before nodding.

"Alright. Dinner will be ready in an hour. I assume you're staying, Ben? Ken's coming home for the weekend." Ben rolled over and nodded at hid aunt.

"Thanks, Aunt Lily." Her mother left and Gwen turned to see Ben grinning at her. "Think we can get some blackmail on Ken in an hour?" She returned the smile.

"Definitely."


End file.
